Music life is a little different in the world of Ukraine modern folk band Folknery. The collective was founded by Volodymyr Muliar and Yaryna Kvitka in 2009, a name taken from both American writer William Faulkner and the term ‘folklore’.
According to Volodymyr Muliar, William Faulkner visited him in a dream and proposed that he take his name for the band. With a shared interest in folk music and cycling, they decided they should combine the two things and so they created the cultural project “Twowheeled Chronicles’ which would see them undertake expeditions in other countries, moving only by bicycle.
Why bicycle? In Ukraine it symbolises the important things for spiritual and physical renewal of the nation. In 2014, they headed out on their largest cycling expedition. Beginning in their homeland, Folknery completed their 14country tour in Australia. From the band: “We show people Ukrainian musical energy that give them power to cycling half the world even when the heat or rain or cold. We think the heart of every nation is laying in old songs and we want to keep this treasure alive. We hope our way can inspire and encourage others to do so.”
Babushka Bar, Ballarat – April 2.